Biometrics

Oct 18 2019

WPF and Brookings co-hosting Biometric Roundtable at International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners

The World Privacy Forum and the Brookings Institution will co-host a Biometric Roundtable Wednesday, October 23 at the International Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners’ Conference in Tirana, Albania. Cam Kerry of Brookings and Pam Dixon of WPF will co-moderate the discussion. The purpose of the Biometrics Roundtable is to promote a dialogue between the data

Sep 12 2019

WPF presenting US biometric privacy analysis at Biometric Institute

Pam Dixon, ED of the World Privacy Forum, will present a detailed analysis of privacy and biometrics in the US to a multistakeholder group convened by the Biometric Institute. The talk will outline key biometric misunderstandings, key risks, priorities for solutions, and key solutions that already exist. WPF has done extensive work in biometrics, including

Jul 26 2019

Roundtable of African Data Protection Authorities (RADPA): Report now public

The first Roundtable of African Data Protection Authorities was a wide-ranging and vibrant roundtable conversation on the status and response to privacy risks in identity systems on the continent of Africa. The dialogue focused on data protection and privacy experiences, challenges, risks, and solutions in identity ecosystems, including biometrics. It was an extraordinary, first-of-its-kind event, and the DPAs had notable experiences and thoughts to share. These thoughts are captured in the Rapporteur’s report, which was written by WPF’s Pam Dixon.

Jul 24 2019

Highlights of the FTC and DOJ Facebook complaint and order

While the $5 billion fine in the Facebook settlement has received a lot of attention, it is the compliance requirements that come with it that are of particular interest. Also noteworthy are the details in the complaint about how Facebook has handled facial recognition information and phone numbers.

Apr 23 2019

Still a One-Way Mirror Society – why has progress in retail biometrics and privacy stalled?

Today WPF was quoted in an AP article about cameras that detect age, gender, and emotion being installed in retail stores, Coming to You: Cameras that guess your age and sex. For us, this was deja vu. In 2010, we published a report about cameras in retail settings called The One Way Mirror Society. In

National IDs Around the World — Interactive map

About this Data Visualization: This interactive map displays the presence...
Report: From the Filing Cabinet to the Cloud: Updating the Privacy Act of 1974

This comprehensive report and proposed bill text is focused on the Privacy Act of 1974, an important and early Federal privacy law that applies to the government sector and some contractors. The Privacy Act was written for the 1970s information era -- an era that was characterized by the use of mainframe computers and filing cabinets. Today's digital information era looks much different than the '70s: smart phones are smarter than the old mainframes, and documents are now routinely digitized and stored and perhaps even analyzed in the cloud, among many other changes. The report focuses on why the Privacy Act needs an update that will bring it into this century, and how that could look and work. This work was written by Robert Gellman, and informed by a two-year multi-stakeholder process.
COVID-19 and HIPAA: HHS’s Troubled Approach to Waiving Privacy and Security Rules for the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic strained the U.S. health ecosystem in numerous ways, including putting pressure on the HIPAA privacy and security rules. The Department of Health and Human Services adjusted the privacy and security rules for the pandemic through the use of statutory and administrative HIPAA waivers. While some of the adjustments are appropriate for the emergency circumstances, there are also some meaningful and potentially unwelcome privacy and security consequences. At an appropriate time, the use of HIPAA waivers as a response to health care emergencies needs a thorough review. This report sets out the facts, identifies the issues, and proposes a roadmap for change.